Punjab Governor extends greetings on Baisakhi

On the eve of the Baisakhi festival, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh UT Administrator, Banwarilal Purohit extended felicitations and good wishes to all the people living in the country and abroad, said an official statement on Friday.

In a message, Purohit said that Baisakhi has multi-faceted importance.

"It marks the beginning of the harvest season heralding happiness and prosperity. It is also an occasion to remember with gratitude about the contribution of our farmers to the progress of the nation," the statement said.

“This auspicious occasion has a special significance in the glorious history of Sikhism, as on this day in 1699, the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh founded the 'Order of Khalsa' to fight against the tyranny of the Mughals", he said.

The governor said that the day also marked a watershed in India’s freedom movement in 1919.

Many known and unknown martyrs sacrificed their lives on this day, in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar. This massacre gave a great impetus to the freedom movement, he said.